


Every Part of Me

by DizzyDrea



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Reunions, Romance, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-04 22:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Ten years on, Liz returns to the FBI's LA Field office as a Special Agent in Charge. She realizes that while some things have changed, some things are still the same. And what she chooses to do about it will change her life forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this ages ago and never went back to it. I posted a snippet on my DW/LJ for Evil Author's Day, anticipating that it would fill the Reunions square on my Trope Bingo card. And then I never really did get around to finishing it before the round ended. Oops. So, I took some time to write the rest of what I'd planned, and polished up what I'd already written. This story takes place in the future, and is sort-of a what-if exercise for me. There are a few appearances from well-loved characters (less than I'd hoped for, because there were a couple of folks who stubbornly stayed "off camera"), and some character bashing of Robin, so if you're not into that, feel free to just keep on walking. Otherwise, enjoy the story!
> 
> Inspired by (and takes its title from) [I Can't Outrun You](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHfH-Jt77Nc&list=UUEYaWpcxO8pfvjT1H-e2ZkQ) from Thompson Square.
> 
> Disclaimer: Numb3rs belongs to The Barry Schindel Company, Scott Free Productions, CBS Television Studios and a lot of other people who aren't me. I'm doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

Liz Warner pushed through the doors to the main lobby of the FBI's LA Field Office. She couldn't help the sudden feeling of déjà vu that swamped her. It had been eight years since she'd been back, but it felt like yesterday, even if her life had completely changed since the last time she'd been there.

She flashed her badge at the security guard, who waved her through the security checkpoint as she made her way to the elevators. It was lunchtime, so the cars were getting a workout, but thankfully most people were on their way down instead of up, so the crowd waiting to go up was pretty thin.

The elevator car behind her dinged and she turned around just in time to see a familiar face step out into the sun-washed lobby. Before she could give any thought to potentially hiding or maybe even just turning around and saving this errand for another day, recognition lit the oh-so-familiar amber eyes.

"Liz," Don said as he stepped off.

"Hey, Don," she said before correcting herself. "I mean, it's good to see you, Director."

"Assistant Director," Don corrected with that same smirk that used to melt her insides. Still did, apparently, dammit. "Don't promote me prematurely. I've got enough to deal with here."

Liz chuckled, though it was a bit strained. She hadn't been entirely sure how she'd feel, seeing Don for the first time in ten years. He looked good; the years had been kind to him, leaving him with only a few more wrinkles around the eyes and a little greying hair at his temples, both of which conspired to make him even more attractive, if that were possible. He was still trim, still filled out his suit better than most men half his age, and Liz could feel that old tingle of attraction blaze to life in her belly. He was married, though, so she locked her eyes on his face rather than dart her glance to his hand, just to see the evidence mocking her in the form of a gold band.

Apparently, ten years wasn't enough time to squash her feelings for her ex. Once Don Eppes was under your skin, he was there to stay. She knew she was staring, but she just couldn't help herself. A cleared throat somewhere to the side dragged her back to the here and now, drawing a sheepish smile out of her.

"Director, we need to move."

Don glanced at the agent accompanying him, nodding imperceptibly. He turned back to Liz, all business now, except for the hint of a smile on his face. "It was good to see you. We'll do lunch in a couple of weeks, once you get your feet under you, yeah?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Liz said, even if it sounded anything but.

She waved as he was ushered out the doors to a waiting SUV, watching as he climbed in and the vehicle sped away. She didn't know how long she'd stood there, just staring at the spot where the SUV had been, but someone bumped her, a harried sorry finally breaking through the fog in her brain.

She shook her head. She was alone at the elevator banks, probably still had drool on her chin from her encounter with Mr. Sex On Legs. Good thing it wasn't her first official day on the job, otherwise she'd be late and that was never a good impression to make.

She reached out and punched the button to call the elevator, hoping like hell that Don would just forget about the invitation to lunch, but knowing in her heart that there was no way that would happen. She'd just have to suck it up and go. That he was still her boss made it easier to curb her attraction, even after all this time. She'd already been down that road once; no need to go there again.

As she stepped onto the waiting elevator car, she questioned once again the wisdom of taking the SAC job knowing that Don would once again be her boss.

~o~

Liz rapped on the glass door, poking her head inside to announce herself. "You got a minute?"

The woman behind the desk looked up, a radiant smile breaking over her face as she jumped up and tugged Liz through the door and into a bear hug.

"Lizzie!" she nearly shouted as she drew Liz into the office and over to the small couch in the corner. "Get in here, girl. Sit down and tell me all about France. I want to hear all about the men you let seduce you. Are they really as good as rumor suggests?"

Liz smiled, shaking her head at the rapid-fire questions as she settled on the sofa. That was Rita Wong in a nutshell: a ball of energy in a size 4 pantsuit. Shorter than everyone in any room, she was still a spitfire and not one to be trifled with. She'd been one of Liz's training officers at the Academy, and they'd kept in touch over the years, more like close friends that mentor and mentee now that Liz's career had truly taken off.

"I may have kissed a Frenchman or two," Liz said cagily. "But I'm not kissing and telling."

Besides, she'd spent a good few months of her year with Interpol bedding a handsome redhead Fugitive Recovery specialist who happened to be friends with her ex. There was no way she was telling anyone that unless she was being tortured, and even then she'd think twice.

"Fine," Rita said with a gentle swipe at her arm, "keep your secrets. Just tell me how it went. Did you learn any new tricks?"

"I did," Liz said. "They have some new tools over there that are cutting edge; really amazing stuff. And because of the way the laws are written, they have more freedom to go after criminals. I still missed the FBI, though."

"Is that why you didn't take the extension?"

Liz thought about it for a moment. They'd offered her the option: stay on in Lyon for another year or come home and work for Don in the LA office. The choice had been surprisingly easy, and what that said about the way she felt about Don was something she'd been avoiding thinking about ever since the offer had come across her desk.

Rita just gave her a knowing look. "Uh huh."

"Yeah, yeah." Liz blushed. "I did want to come home, though. I have good memories here."

"And isn't it interesting how LA is suddenly home?" Rita said, still with that infuriatingly knowing look. She reached out and squeezed Liz's arm. "It is good to have you here, kiddo."

Liz winced a bit at the nickname. Rita had been calling her kiddo since they first met, despite the fact that she had maybe ten years on Liz. But those ten years had served her well. She was now the Administrative SAC for the LA Field Office, in charge of Public Relations, Communications, OPR, budgets and procurement, plus a host of other things that made Liz's head spin. She was, effectively, Don's right-hand man—or woman, as the case may be—and Liz was glad he had someone as ruthless and efficient as Rita helping him out. Being ADIC for a large and high-profile office like LA was tough enough. She had faith in him, and in the staff around him, and the Director had known he could do the job, otherwise he'd never have been hired.

"So, you want to know about your team?" Rita asked.

"I thought I was going to be briefed by Birkenhauser?" Liz asked. She was his replacement, so she figured there'd be a little resentment, especially because he didn't get the ADIC job that went to Don, but she didn't think he'd go so far as to avoid her altogether.

Rita snorted as she rose to get the pile of folders off her desk. "Besides the fact that Birkenhauser is a chauvinist asshole who's still lamenting the end of the fifties, he had a heart attack over the weekend. So, you get me instead. You want some coffee?"

"He gonna be okay?" Liz asked.

"Eh, it was just a minor heart attack," Rita said, waving her off. "Apparently, his cardiologist has been trying to get him to slow down for years."

"Good timing on the retirement, then," Liz said. Rita handed her the folders and then headed for the credenza where a k-cup machine sat waiting. She held up a mug, waggling it a little to get Liz's attention. Liz nodded, saying, "Don't want to have to go that far for decent coffee?"

"None of what they brew in this building could pass for coffee on a good day," Rita said. 

She set about brewing two cups, setting one down in front of Liz as she poured over the files.

"Your ASAC for White Collar Crime is a guy named Neal Peters." Liz flipped open the file, where a picture of a middle-aged man with brown hair and blue eyes stared back at her. "He's a twenty year veteran, recruited right out of Michigan. Solid investigative background, good leader."

Liz nodded, setting that file aside in favor of the next one. "Tim King's still leading SWAT?"

"Yeah," Rita said. "I think Don's pushing him to step up, maybe teach at the Academy, but Tim's happy where he is. And before you ask, moving SWAT to your portfolio was one of the first things Don did. Said it made more sense than having it under my office."

"Makes sense," Liz said. She set that file on the pile with the other one before moving on to the next. It really made no difference to her where SWAT was assigned, but she could see the advantage of having the squad aligned with the criminal investigative unit.

"You have a new ASAC for Criminal Investigations," Rita said, but before she could go on, Liz had opened the file and exclaimed in surprise.

"Colby!" Liz looked at her old mentor. "Last I heard, he was in Atlanta."

"He was," Rita said, smiling. "Don asked for him specifically, once he knew you were taking the SAC job. Said you and Granger worked well together."

Liz hadn't seen Colby Granger since they'd all attended David Sinclair's funeral three years ago. He'd been a Supervisory Agent in Atlanta then, just starting with his own team, but she knew his star had been rising ever since Janus. He was a solid agent with good instincts, something you couldn't teach no matter how hard you tried. He'd taken over for Liz when she'd moved to the San Diego office a couple of years after Don had left for Boston. She knew it was only a matter of time before he'd start to move up the ladder. If she had to have someone backing her up, she was glad it was him.

"Yeah," Liz said, smiling, "Colby and I always worked well together. Guess we'll have another chance, now."

Rita raised her eyebrow. "Something you're not telling me?"

Liz rolled her eyes. "God no. I made that mistake once, and once was enough."

"Speaking of which," Rita said. Liz huffed at the not-so-subtle segue. "How's Cam?"

"Last time I talked to him he was doing okay," Liz said. 

She put the folders aside and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, giving a soft sigh. She'd known from the beginning that getting involved with Cameron Atherton was a risk, but she'd been tired of being alone when they'd crossed paths again. Gone was the strung out adrenaline junkie she'd encountered during the Hawaiian Ice operation; in his place was the strong, upstanding, capable agent she'd remembered from the Academy. 

Trouble was, Cam was still the guy who'd cheated on his wife and gone native while undercover. Maybe he wasn't built for monogamy and the quiet of domesticity, or maybe he was too much of an adrenaline junkie to live a normal life. She didn't know, but whatever it was, it had broken their marriage and sent her fleeing to France and a probably-ill-advised affair with Billy Cooper. But in a way, it had been good for her. She'd learned a lot about herself and what she wanted out of life. 

"He's started going to AA meetings," she said. "I think he's finally figuring out that he can't keep living like he has been."

"A little late for that, don't you think?" Rita said, snorting.

Liz shrugged. "Too late for us, but I'm glad he's trying to pull it together. They've pulled him off of undercover ops. Believe it or not, he's now an analyst, mapping out undercover ops and assisting the handlers with managing their assets."

"That could be a good thing," Rita said, tilting her head. "He knows what it's like to go too deep; he can recognize the signs. And it's not like he was never a good agent. He just went too far." Rita paused before she asked the one question Liz had hoped she wouldn't. "So, you two going to get back together?"

"No," Liz said, shaking her head. "I married him for the wrong reasons. I loved him, but loving him wasn't enough to make him want to change. I can't go back to that."

And it hadn't escaped her notice that she'd been picking men who were disturbingly alike. Don. Cam. Billy. Although that wasn't exactly fair to Billy. Yes, he'd been an adrenaline junkie when he was younger, but he'd matured over the years. He'd taken himself out of the field, and was now running teams himself. He still had that devil-may-care attitude, but it had been tempered by a lifetime of experiences. 

"You sure you're going to be okay working for Don again?" Rita asked, laying a hand on her friend's arm.

"Yeah," Liz said, ghosting a smile. "Don and I—we might not have worked out, but we're still friends and colleagues. Besides, he's married now, so no chance I'm going to do something stupid, right?"

Rita gave her a strange look, but before she could ask what that was about, her admin poked her head in to remind Rita she had a budget meeting in ten minutes.

"You wouldn't want to go to my meeting for me, would you?" she asked Liz.

"Not on your life," Liz said. She stood up and hugged her friend. "I'll stop by next week, after I've moved in to my new office. Now that I know where the good coffee is."

Rita laughed. "You do that, kiddo."

Liz scooped up her files and headed for the door. She didn't have as much homework to do on her new team as she'd thought, but she wanted to be prepared for next Monday and her first staff meeting just the same.

~o~

Liz got to the office early on Monday morning, though she hadn't beaten her assistant to the office. When she'd stepped off the elevator on the executive level, she'd almost tripped over her own feet to find her assistant sitting at her desk clicking away on her computer. 

A quick conversation had yielded two pieces of information: Gina Aguilar hadn't been Birkenhauser's assistant—that woman had opted to take retirement rather than work for a new SAC—and Gina was a full-fledged Special Agent with a gun, badge, and the will to shoot anyone who even looked at Liz wrong. She was pretty sure she had Rita to thank for that, and despite the fact that the woman was at least ten years her junior, Liz found she trusted her new assistant almost instantly.

She was dismayed to learn that Gina would be shadowing her on all official business outside the FBI building, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that at least she didn't have to put up with her constant shadow trailing her home.

She'd settled into her new office, smiling softly at the shiny new k-cup machine sitting on her credenza, complete with a note telling her that Rita still expected her to stop by from time to time. Liz fired off a quick email thanking Rita for her generous gift and promising to stop by as soon as she had a free minute for a chat and to pilfer some of Rita's coffee. The answer her friend had fired back consisted entirely of laughing/crying emojis.

A knock at her door pulled her out of the email fugue she'd descended into. She looked up to find a familiar face leaning on the door jamb of her office.

"Colby," she said, jumping up and rounding her desk. 

Her old friend pulled her into a hug, squeezing tight before letting her go and pulling back. "Sorry. Should probably address you as Special Agent in Charge instead of molesting you."

"Pfft," Liz said, waving her hand. "You know I don't care about that." She waved him into the office and pointed at her coffee machine. "Want some coffee?"

"That'd be great," Colby said as he settled on the couch, extending his arm across the back. 

Liz brewed a couple of cups of Kona, the strongest brew she had, and handed one off to Colby as she settled in beside him. "So, I thought you were in Atlanta? Why the switch? And why didn't you tell me last time we talked?"

"I didn't know about this the last time we talked," Colby said. "It was kind of sudden, actually. I get the feeling that after Birkenhauser was asked to retire, Don—I mean, Director Eppes—kind of cleaned house on the investigative side. Nothing concrete, just rumors, but it sounds like it was a bit of a shitshow over here after most of us left."

"Anything I need to worry about?" 

Colby shook his head. "I've been here about a month now, and I think I've got a good handle on it. Birkenhauser wasn't happy when I started making changes, but the Director kind of told him to shut up, so he stopped pestering me about it. I got the feeling like he was trying to go over the ADIC's head, but he got smacked down."

"Well, D—the Director's a rising star in the Bureau," Liz said. "I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that someone in DC wants him for Director someday."

"Maybe," Colby said. "What about you? Last time we talked, you were thinking about extending your stay in France. What made you want to come home?"

Liz chuckled. It seemed like, no matter where they'd all come from, LA had become home for them. "I was actually thinking about extending my assignment, but I kind of missed pizza and coffee that's not swimming in milk. And English. I really missed English."

"So, nothing at all to do with the new ADIC of the LA Field Office?"

"N—" Liz started to deny that Don had anything to do with her coming back to the US, but she knew she wouldn't fool Colby. And unlike Rita, Colby would call her on her bullshit. "Okay, yeah, I came back because Don asked. And before you ask, I've only seen him once, in passing. There's a meeting on my calendar for Wednesday, but otherwise the most we've done is say hi."

"Anything there?" Colby asked. 

She knew why he was asking. Back in the day, when she'd made the colossal mistake of dating her boss and then watching that relationship implode, Colby was the one she turned to. She could have talked to Megan, but she didn't want to be psychoanalyzed, and David would have just frowned at her with that disapproving look he got when someone broke his precious rules. She'd loved David like a brother, but sometimes he could be so rigid and by-the-book that it drove her nuts. And Megan honestly cared, but she couldn't help that figuring out what your issue was had been sewn into her DNA. 

Colby hadn't been judgmental, hadn't chastised her for making a stupid mistake, he'd just listened to her talk it through and offered a shoulder to lean on as Don had moved on with Robin. 

"Honestly?" At Colby's nod, she heaved a sigh. "It's still there. But so are the reasons it wasn't a good idea the first time. I don't want to make that same mistake again. Plus, he's my boss, and he's married. And I've already got one ex to deal with. I do not need to factor another ex into my life while I'm trying to get up to speed on my new job."

"Well, I don't know about the last ex, but this one is still your boss," Colby said, pointing at her. "So at some point, you're going to have to deal with it. And him. Plus—"

"Wednesday," she said, holding up a hand to fend off whatever else he was going to say. "I have until Wednesday to get my shit together, and I'm going to use every second of that time. By the time I show up for my meeting with him, I'll be bulletproof."

"Right," Colby muttered into his coffee.

A knock at her door cut short whatever reply she felt he had coming. Gina, followed by the rest of her staff, filed in to get her first staff meeting started.

"Come on in, guys," she said, waving the rest of them in. "Help yourselves to some coffee and let's get down to business."

~o~

Wednesday came around far too quickly for Liz's peace of mind. Despite what she'd told Colby—and she knew he'd figure it out as soon as he saw her—she was no more ready for this meeting than she'd been for running into him in the lobby. But when the ADIC puts a meeting on your calendar, you show up.

She walked across the floor, headed for Don's office, giving herself a pep talk the whole way. Having their offices all on the same floor might have been convenient, but it sucked when all she wanted was more time to get ready to face her ex. Correction: her new/old boss. Thankfully, their offices were on opposite corners, so at least she had a little time.

As soon as she came in view of the Director's assistant, the woman was on the phone, announcing her presence. 

"The Director will see you," his assistant said, smiling. "Go on in."

"Thanks, Vivian," Liz said

She pushed the door open and stopped, just staring for a moment. Don's office was huge. He had a conference table on the left, along a wall of windows, and a couch and chairs set-up on the opposite wall, with a large TV mounted on the wall above the sofa. His desk wasn't the largest she'd seen, but it seemed to have an ocean of paperwork spread out over it, making it look bigger. She could just barely see the credenza behind, with pictures dotted along the surface, presumably of Robin and the rest of his family. Liz was glad Don was blocking it; she really didn't need to see them to know what she'd missed out on.

"Come on in, Liz," Don said, waving her in. He flashed her a smile. "Just let me finish sending this email and we'll talk."

"Director," she said, settling into one of the guest chairs in front of the desk.

A couple of clicks of his mouse, and he turned his attention back to her. She met those amber eyes, and it was like a punch to the gut. She realized that no amount of preparation would be enough to not feel like the whole world had disappeared every time he looked at her. It was a feeling she remembered well, but one that she'd hoped had gone away.

"Nah," he said, his smile crinkling the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, and god help her, making the whole thing ten times worse. "In here, just the two of us? Call me Don."

"Alright, Don," she said, swallowing heavily. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but it would be rude to tell him no. Plus, he'd ask why, because he'd been an investigator for a lot of years, and a desk job didn't train that out of you. Ever.

"So, how's it going?" he asked, leaning back. "You settling in okay?"

"Yeah, things are good," she said. This, she could do, be all business and let the personal fade to the background. "I was surprised when I realized Colby would be on my staff, but I'm glad to have him. It's nice to know I have someone I can trust watching my back."

"I thought you might like that," Don said, smiling. "He was due for a promotion, but I had to fight off a lot of other ADICs to get him."

"From what I hear, he wasn't going anywhere else," Liz said. "It seems like we all think of LA as home now, thanks to you."

Don shrugged. "Not sure I had much to do with it. It does seem like we all keep coming back here, though, doesn't it?"

"You did," she said. "I figured you'd be in Boston until someone offered you a seat at the big boys table in DC."

"The weather's not any better in DC than it was in Boston," Don said, waving his hand a little. "Plus, it's not like I have much tolerance for politics. I'd probably just punch someone instead of kissing ass, and that'd be it for my career."

Liz chuckled. "That sounds like something you'd do."

"You settling in otherwise?" Don asked. The question seemed offhand, but the expression on his face showed he was interested in the answer. "You and Cam find a place?"

"Just me," Liz said, a spike of remembered pain stabbing at her before she knocked it down. "Cam and I split up before I headed for France. It was just… a bad idea, and I should have known better. We're still on good terms, but—"

"You're better as friends than lovers," Don said. 

Liz could see the edges of something lingering in his eyes before he shut it all away. She wondered if it was her he was thinking about, then chastised herself for even thinking it. She might still be attracted to him, but that didn't mean that getting back together was a good idea. She'd tried that with one ex and it didn't work. No way was she trying it again.

"Yeah," she said on a sigh. "So, how's the rest of the family?"

"They're great," Don said, flicking his gaze to the pictures on the credenza before refocusing on her. "Dad's still kicking, spoiling the hell out of the grandkids. Charlie's back at Cal Sci, heading up the math department, and Amita is teaching part time. They were asking about you. I told them you were coming back, and Dad made me promise to invite you to dinner some night when you're free."

"I wouldn't want to impose—"

"Bullshit," Don said, cutting her off. "It's not an imposition. And if you feel like it's too much having me there, I'll make myself scarce that night. I don't want you to lose your friendships with them because of me, Liz."

"That's—thanks, Don," she said. "I was thinking about hitting Charlie up for some names of professors he thinks might be a good fit for consulting gigs from time to time. Birkenhauser ran off the ones we had, and Colby doesn't know anyone in the math department he could ask."

"Check with Charlie when you see them for dinner," Don said, flashing a grin. "He'll know who we haven't pissed off yet."

"Will do," Liz said.

Just then, Don's admin poked her head in the door. "Sorry to disturb, but the Director's on the line from DC."

Liz stood as Don leaned forward to pick up the phone. "Thanks for your time, Director. And for the record, I don't mind if you're there."

Don winked at her as he picked up the phone. Liz followed Vivian out of the office, barely remembering to acknowledge her before she headed off to her own office. She'd survived the meeting, which was something, but she had no idea why she'd told him it was fine with her if he was at dinner when she visited the Craftsman. If she'd thought this meeting was torture, what would dinner be like?

...continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, this is [Rita Wong](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0001840/mediaviewer/rm1356915456), and this is [Gina Aguilar](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm1065229/mediaviewer/rm2208185088). And yes, Neal Peters is a shout out to White Collar (feel free to imagine [Matt Bomer](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0093589/mediaviewer/rm1134331392)).


	2. Chapter 2

~o~

Liz rang the doorbell to the Craftsman and stepped back, nervously shifting from foot to foot as she waited for someone to come let her in. 

When she'd called Charlie, he'd flat refused to email her the information, stating that he'd much prefer she come to dinner so he could give it to her personally. Since she'd been prepared for that, after her conversation with Don, she'd given in easily. The house had a lot of fond memories for her, and she was actually looking forward to seeing the rest of the family again. Six years had been a long time.

She didn't know quite what to expect from the Eppes family. It had been a while, and she felt a little bad that she hadn't even tried to contact them once she'd left LA. But Charlie's enthusiasm gave her hope that she'd be welcomed back. He'd told her to dress casual and come prepared to eat. 

She heard children's shrieks, which brought her mind back to the present. The door swung open, and she was greeted with Alan Eppes' smiling face.

"Agent Warner," he said warmly. "Come in, come in."

Liz smiled and stepped inside. "Please, it's still just Liz. You look good, Mr. Eppes."

It was almost as though no time had passed. Alan was still tall, with salt-and-pepper hair—more salt now than pepper—and a few more lines on his face. The house hadn't changed, either. It still reflected the Craftsman style, though there were a few new items that spoke of the passage of time.

"Thank you, Liz," Alan said. "And please, call me Alan. Before you all went your separate ways, I like to think we were all friends."

"Alan," Liz said, nodding and smiling. 

"Here, let me take your coat," Alan said. Liz shed her leather jacket into his waiting arms. As he hung it up, Amita appeared from the kitchen.

"Liz," she said, walking over and enfolding her in a hug. "It's so good to see you. When Charlie told me you were coming for dinner, I was actually a little surprised that you were back in town. The last I'd heard, you were in Denver."

Liz winced. She hadn't told many people when she'd left for the Denver office, and almost no one knew when she'd gone to France. Both had been necessary steps for her career, but even she would readily admit that going to France was more about healing from the damage her marriage had caused.

"Sorry about that," she said. "After the divorce, I just needed—"

"To be somewhere where they didn't know all about it," Amita said, nodding as she filled in the missing piece. "I get it. I'd probably have done the same thing, if I were you."

Liz's thank you was cut off by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. More accurately, it sounded like a herd of elephants, but she figured it couldn't be more than a couple of those grandkids Don had talked about.

Three young kids darted around the corner, followed by her boss, which honestly surprised her. She'd thought, since it was Saturday night, that he'd have been at Temple. The idea that he'd stay home just for her was as foreign as it was surprising.

"Whoa, guys, hold up," Don called. All three kids skidded to a halt in the foyer, suddenly aware of the stranger in their house. "I want you guys to meet a colleague from work. This is Special Agent Liz Warner. She's the Special Agent in Charge of our Investigative teams."

"Hi," Liz said, giving a polite wave to the three kids huddled together in front of Don.

"So, this is Thomas," Don said, placing his hand on the shoulder of one of the boys. He had dark, curly hair and the Eppes amber eyes. "This little scamp is Jake," Don went on, ruffling the hair of another little boy who looked almost identical to the first. "And this is Sunny."

"It's nice to meet you all," Liz said warmly.

"Hello, Agent Warner," they all three chimed. 

Liz chuckled. "You can call me Liz, if you'd like."

Three beaming faces greeted him. Liz looked up to Don, seeing the pride in his eyes. She wondered if any of them were his, which dimmed her enthusiasm just a little when it reminded her that she had yet to see Robin.

"So, where's Robin tonight?" she asked, thinking that she might as well get it out of the way.

All three kids looked up to Don, who smiled down at them, though the smile seemed a little off. 

"Come on, kids," Alan said, "come help Granddad get dinner ready."

"I'll just… go check on Charlie," Amita said, poking a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of the garage.

Within seconds, the room was empty save for her and Don. She looked to her boss and raised one eyebrow. "Was it something I said?"

Don chuckled. "Kinda. Come on, let's sit in the living room and I'll explain."

She watched as he grabbed an open wine bottle and two glasses and followed her into the living room. He poured some of the red into each glass, handing her one as he settled on the couch. She thought about taking the side chair for about two seconds, but she had a feeling she'd rather be closer to him than that, just in case he needed to keep his voice down.

"So," Don said, "about Robin."

Liz held up a hand. "Look, you don't owe me anything, so if this isn't something you want to talk about, just tell me to mind my own business and I will."

"It's okay," Don said, shaking his head. "It's not something I like talking about, and Jake certainly doesn't need to hear it all again, but Dad's got them busy in the kitchen, so we're good for a while."

Rather than ask if Don was sure he wanted to talk about what was clearly a difficult subject, she just nodded her head and took a sip of the wine.

"So, we both moved to Boston," he said, smiling faintly. "Things were good for a while. Then Robin got pregnant." Liz smiled at the obvious joy on Don's face. "We were really excited. I mean, I'd thought about having kids, of course, but the reality was—"

"A bit overwhelming?" Liz asked when Don stopped abruptly.

"Yeah," he said, sighing. "I thought about asking her to marry me again, but I figured she wouldn't say yes. She'd always been so adamant about the timing and me being ready to accept the responsibility. So, I made plans to ask her after the baby was born while we got the condo ready to bring Jake home."

Liz reached out and gently clasped Don's hand as he visibly struggled with the story. "Sorry, I haven't actually told anyone this story since my interview with the Director for the LA job."

"It's okay, Don," she said. Instead of reminding him that he didn't have to do this, because something inside her felt like he did, she just squeezed his hand and waited for him to go on.

"After Jake was born, and we'd brought him home, I noticed that Robin wasn't… connecting with him very well. She preferred to express milk so he could be bottle-fed, and since I was home, she let me take care of him. All the feedings, diaper changes, everything."

"That's not normal, is it?" Liz asked.

"No, it's not," Don said, shaking his head. "I talked to her doctor about it, because I would find her staring out a window in the middle of the day, even while Jake was fussing right beside her. She just… wasn't hearing him. She didn't want to watch tv, she didn't go out, ever, and she seemed disconnected from reality."

"Post-partum depression?"

"Yeah, the worst case her doctor had seen in a while," Don said. "He decided that admitting her was the only course of action that had a reasonable chance at success."

"Admitting her?" Liz asked, shocked. "To the psych ward?"

Don cringed. "No, not the psych ward, per se. More like a treatment center for mental health issues. There was no way I'd be able to take care of Jake and make sure Robin got what she needed, so I went with it. Charlie and Amita wrapped up in London and joined me in Boston with Thomas, so I'd have help with Jake after I went back to work."

"How far apart are the boys?" Liz asked. If she'd had to guess, she figured they were no more than a year apart.

"They're about two weeks apart," Don said. "Jake was born first, followed by Thomas. Dad was with us when Jake was born, and then headed to London to be there for Charlie and Amita. It was great having him here, especially considering how tired Robin was at the beginning. Which we now know was part of the depression."

"How long did it take before the doctor suggested in-patient treatment?" Liz asked.

"Jake was a month old," Don said quietly. "I was drowning, and my leave was going to be up soon. That's when Charlie and Amita volunteered to come back and help out. They'd been pushing Charlie to sign another contract, so it was a good time to make a break. Dad went back to California, and as soon as Charlie and Amita arrived, we had Robin moved to the treatment center. I set Charlie and Amita up as consultants with the Boston Field Office, and Amita watched the kids while I worked and visited Robin as much as I could."

"Did she get better?"

"Yeah," Don said, giving a sharp nod and a rueful smile that fell almost immediately. "She spent six weeks at the treatment facility, and when they released her, she refused to come home. Said she just couldn't face it, and moved to a hotel. The doctors thought that if we introduced her to Jake in a more neutral environment, she'd feel less pressure, but she flat refused to even see him. And then one night, Charlie, Amita and I took the kids out to dinner with us, and when we got back, all of Robin's things had been removed from the condo."

"Oh god, Don," Liz said, squeezing the hand she still held one more time.

"She left a note on the dresser," Don said quietly. "She said she was going to New York to start over, and that she didn't want me to follow her. She actually apologized for leaving me with a kid she'd realized she didn't want. Like that was going to make it better."

"What did you do?"

"Went to the Director and told him that my wife had left me with a small child, and that I'd like to raise that child closer to home in LA." Don smirked. "He told me they didn't want to lose me, so they'd do whatever they could to keep me. He practically fell over himself trying to make it happen. I'm not sure, but I think they promoted the ADIC of the LA Field office just to make room for me."

"Nah," Liz said, smiling even as she shook her head. "You earned that promotion. Everything that happened was probably just an excuse to get the powers that be off their asses."

"Maybe," Don said, giving her a sly smile. "Whatever it was, it worked. I'm right where I wanted to be all along. And I'm happy. I have Jake, and my Dad, Charlie and Amita and their kids. It's good, despite what it took to get here."

"Well, from what I saw, Jake seems like he's a happy, well-adjusted kid," Liz said. "You should be proud."

"I am," Don said. "He and Thomas routinely destroy the grade curve at school, and Sunny isn't much better. Who knew I'd have a genius kid?"

"Everyone who knows you knew this, Don," Liz said. She let go of his hand to swat him on the shoulder. "It's not like you're stupid. I've seen you do the math fugue thing, same as Charlie, so I know there's more than two brain cells rubbing together inside that thick skull of yours."

Instead of protesting, Don just ducked his head. When he looked up again, she could see the tail-end of a spectacular blush on his cheeks. She thought about teasing him, but opted instead to just wink and smile. 

"Liz!"

Liz recognized Charlie's voice instantly, and allowed herself to be pulled up off the couch and folded into a warm hug. Charlie, at least, hadn't changed. Still looked a bit rumpled, and still had a cloud of chalk dust filling the air around him. And still with the light dancing in his eyes, the math high that he never did quite seem to shake.

"Hey, Charlie," she said, smiling as the other man finally let her go.

"Come on," Charlie said. "Dad's got dinner on the table. You can tell us all what you've been up to."

Liz glanced over at Don, who'd stood up when Charlie first appeared in the living room. He didn't say anything, just winked at her and waved her into the dining room. She rolled her eyes, but dutifully followed Charlie towards the wonderful smell of lasagna.

She couldn't help but play back the look on Don's face there at the end. She wasn't sure what, but something had shifted between them in the last half hour. She knew she should probably be more concerned, but somehow it felt more like puzzle pieces slotting into place than warning bells alerting her to trouble.

~o~

Liz couldn't remember enjoying dinner more than she did at the Eppes house. The feeling of home and family she'd always gotten sitting at that table was something she knew she'd never forget. It was nice to know that she could still feel that way, even having been away for so many years.

The kids had commandeered their attention the minute they entered the dining room, chattering about helping with dinner and their favorite parts of the preparation. She was glad of the distraction, because she couldn't stop thinking about what Don had been through and simply being amazed that he'd come out of it with his heart intact.

She couldn't help but think that there was some not-so-subtle hinting going on when she realized that she'd be sitting on the same side of the table with Don, especially when Jake climbed into the seat between them and beamed a smile at her. His grin was so like Don's that her heart melted there on the spot. 

Conversation had been light and enjoyable. Mostly they'd talked about Charlie and Amita's time in England and Liz's year in France. Liz, however, was curious about the kids, who hadn't spoken much after their initial outburst, preferring to plow through Alan's lasagna.

It was while Charlie was talking about some project he'd been working on in England before they returned to the US that Jake seemed to perk up.

"You into math like your uncle?" Liz asked him.

"I like Sabremetrics better," Jake said, which made Don chuckle. "Daddy says that's just 'cuz baseball's better than dusty old math, but I think he's just jealous because I found a way to do math and baseball."

Liz hid her chuckle behind her hand. "So, you're into baseball, huh? You do know your dad played when he was in college, right?"

"Yeah, he told me," Jake said, shrugging. "I like soccer better, but the math's not as fun. 'Cept when I'm trying to calculate trajectories during a game. I do like modeling Beckham's kicks, though. He was amazing, you know?"

"All the kids play soccer," Amita said. "Sunny's our natural athlete, though. She can run circles around both boys."

"That's because girls are better than boys," Sunny said with all the wisdom of a child.

"Amen, sister," Liz said. She leaned across the table and offered the girl her hand. Sunny looked at her for a second, then smiled and completed the high five.

When she glanced over at Don, he was smiling at her, as if what had just happened was significant, though she had no idea why. His wink did nothing to help; instead it triggered a blush that she tried to hide in her wine glass. She didn't miss the significant looks passing between the other adults at the table.

Before anyone could get any ideas, she swiftly changed the subject. "So, did you guys hear that Don brought Colby Granger back to LA?"

"I had not heard that," Alan said. He gave Don a look, to which Don held up a hand.

"In my defense, it's been a busy six months," he said. "Plus, he's only been on board for a little over a month at this point. I haven't even had the chance to do much more than welcome him aboard."

"So, you, Colby and Ian are all back in town," Charlie said. "Anybody else?"

"Ian?" Liz asked.

"He moved out here, what, three years ago now?" Don asked. At Charlie and Amita's nods, he went on. "He and Nikki moved in together, and he set up a second Fugitive Recovery office here in LA."

"He actually came out of the field?" Liz asked. When she'd seen Billy in France, he'd mentioned something about a counterpart organization on the West Coast, but she hadn't gotten the chance to ask any questions before getting… distracted by other things.

Don glanced at his father and then Charlie before he looked over at her. "Ian was diagnosed with MS five years ago. He stayed in the field as long as he could, but it got too hard to keep up his travel schedule so he opted to come out of the field and set up the West Coast FR office instead."

"Oh god," Liz said. She hadn't known any of that, but then again, she'd tried to stay away from the grapevine as much as possible. For as much as she'd always said she was over Don, she also hated being reminded of him whenever tongues got to wagging. "Is he okay? I mean, MS…"

"He's good," Don said. "It wasn't a surprise to him. I think his mother had it, so he knew there was a chance he'd get it too. But he's doing well, and Nikki's been right there beside him the whole way, which helps."

"Hey, Dad, can I be excused?" Jake asked, neatly breaking into the silence Don's comment had brought.

"Sure, kiddo," Don said. "You guys wanted to watch a movie tonight, right?"

"Yeah, we're gonna watch The Lord of the Rings," Thomas, who'd been quiet all through dinner, announced as if it was something Don should already have known.

"Take your plates to the kitchen," Amita reminded them all.

Charlie raised his finger as all three of the kids scrambled out of their chairs. "And keep the volume down. We'll bring dessert in a little while."

A chorus of "Yes, Dad" and "Yes, Uncle Charlie" followed them out of the room.

"Your kids are great," Liz said, smiling at Don and then Amita, sitting right across from him. "Smart, but way hipper than you ever were, Charlie."

"That's all Don's doing," Charlie said. He leaned back and tossed his napkin on his plate. "He's determined that my kids will not turn out like me. Can't say I blame him, though. At least my kids know a soccer ball from a baseball. I never cared enough to try."

"Says the guy who's batting average at the cages is better than my own," Don said.

The brothers bantered back and forth as Alan looked on with some fatherly pride and Amita jumped in from time to time with her two cents. Liz couldn't remember when she'd had such an enjoyable evening, and for entirely selfish reasons, didn't really want it to end.

~o~

Don walked her to the door when she finally decided to leave. It was well after midnight, and she was more tired than she remembered being in a long time, but she was oddly energized at the same time. 

Maybe it was just the ice cream talking. They'd each had heaping bowls when they'd finally joined the kids in the den, finding them well into the first movie and begging to be allowed to watch the second.

"I had fun tonight," she said, smiling at Don as they stood on the front porch.

Don smiled back, all boyish charm and fatherly pride. "I'm glad. The kids liked you, I think. They don't usually warm up to strangers that quickly."

"You have a great kid, Don," Liz said. "He's smart, funny, gonna be breaking hearts all over LA when he gets older. Like his father."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, his cheeks coloring at the compliment.

There was an awkward moment where she felt like a teenager on a date, wondering whether the boy she was with would try to kiss her goodnight. She shoved that feeling down deep and gave Don a smile full of false bravado.

"Thanks for inviting me," she said. "And tell Charlie he still owes me the list of Cal Sci staff who'll play with my agents."

Don chuckled. "He'll probably remember at breakfast tomorrow." He looked at her, and his smile softened. "I'm glad you're back. And I'm glad you could come out tonight. Felt like old times around the dinner table. We'll have to do it again sometime."

"I'd like that," Liz found herself saying. That was the last thing she thought she should want, but it seemed like her heart and her head weren't on speaking terms at the moment.

"It's getting late," he said, reaching out to tug on the hem of her jacket. "You'd better get going."

"Yeah," she said quietly. 

She turned to go, but before she could get more than a step away, she felt Don tug on her sleeve. When she turned back, he engulfed her in a hug, cradling her close for a few long heartbeats. She just melted into the embrace, not even trying to pull away.

"I'm glad you're back," Don whispered into her hair. He pressed a kiss to her temple, then stepped back. "Be careful out there, yeah?"

"I will," she said, smiling.

She waved at him as she headed down the walk to her car, but it wasn't until she looked back up as she was backing out of the drive that she realized he'd stayed on the porch, watching her go. She had no idea what was going on in his head, and wasn't sure she really wanted to know, but it warmed her all the same to know that he was still watching out for her.

~o~

The days and weeks slid past as summer melted into fall. Liz felt like her whole world had condensed down into the twenty square feet of her office on most days. Being ASAC was a lot harder than any of her former bosses ever made it look, but she was still enjoying the hell out of it. She liked her team, liked her assistant, and felt like she was really making a difference, standing behind her team and making sure she had their back.

Somehow, she'd found herself dragged into the Eppes family's wake. It wasn't like she didn't have things to do, places to go and friends to see on the weekends. She'd made time for dinner with Ian and Nikki, and looked up a couple of people she'd known back in the day. But her weekends had become the near-sole province of the Eppes'—or more specifically, the Eppes children. 

Every Saturday morning since that first dinner, she'd found herself on the sidelines of a soccer field somewhere in LA, rooting on Jake, Thomas and Sunny. They usually had to split up, because while the boys played together, Sunny was normally on an all-girls team. They tended to alternate who watched which kids, but this particular Saturday, Liz, Amita, and Alan had taken the sideline duty at Sunny’s game, while Don and Charlie had gone to watch the boys. 

After every game, they'd meet in the parking lot and head to a nearby diner for breakfast and the family after-action report. It was easily Liz's favorite part of each week, and this week was no exception.

"Did you see me score that goal, Aunt Liz?" Sunny asked as she practically shoveled eggs and hash browns into her mouth.

Liz couldn't help herself; she smiled so wide, she thought maybe it was stretching off her face. Sunny had started calling her 'Aunt Liz' not long after that first dinner, and it had stuck. Now, the boys were following her lead—something Amita said happened all the time—and it never got old.

"Yes, I saw it," she said. "You're going to have to sit down with Jake and calculate the angles on that kick. I think you reached Beckham territory with that one."

Jake perked up at that. "Do you think you can remember the angles, Sun? I can calculate it if you can remember. We can use the goal in the backyard for reference."

And with that, the kids were off, talking about angles and trajectories and force. It was still a little strange hearing it all come out of the mouths of kids a fraction of the age that Charlie was when he was routinely spouting math at the FBI. Strange, but right in some totally unexplainable way.

"Familiar, huh?" Don said, leaning close as he talked quietly in her ear.

"I know, right?" she said, looking over at him. "I mean, I know it's in the genes, but this is still freaky, right?"

"Eh," Don said, shrugging. "I grew up with this. It's not so weird now, but I swear I thought my brother had been possessed when he first started doing it."

"How old was he?"

"I don't know, five maybe?" Don said. "At least now I know what to expect. Plus, Jake knows better than to ask me for help on his math proofs."

"Oh, I don't know," Liz said, winking at him. "I seem to remember you having your moments."

"I stopped being able to help him with his math homework when he was three," Don said sardonically. "Basically, if they need help with history or English or something, I'm the guy. Math? Not so much."

"So, do you think they'll follow Charlie into academia?"

Don shrugged. "They're young, and I don't know if they've even thought that far ahead yet, but—"

"I'm gonna be a federal agent like you and Aunt Liz."

They both turned to look at Sunny, who'd just made that grand pronouncement. They looked at each other, and then at Charlie and Amita. Alan was hiding his face behind his coffee cup, but Liz could see the humor dancing in his eyes.

"Yeah?" Don asked, his own eyes lighting up. "And how do your Mom and Dad feel about that?"

"Mommy said I could be anything I wanted to be."

And with that said, she turned back to talk to her brother and cousin, as if everything had been settled and no further conversation was needed. 

Liz looked at Charlie and Amita. "Did you know?"

"No," Charlie said, shrugging. "But I'm not surprised. Amita did tell her—all three of them, really—that they didn't have to become mathematicians like we did. They get to choose what they want to do, and we'll be proud of them no matter what."

"Well," Liz said. Because what did you say to that? "You have some truly amazing kids."

"Here, here," Alan said, smiling. 

He held up his coffee mug, and all the adults toasted with theirs. The kids remained happily oblivious.

...continued...


	3. Chapter 3

~o~

Liz stood at the railing on the walkway, high above the street below, just watching the crowds go by as she sipped at her latte. Late morning on a Thursday was pretty busy, but she'd snuck out of her office and headed for the coffee cart, just to get away from the paperwork for a bit. 

There'd been an agent-involved shooting just two days ago. One of the agents in the Violent Crimes unit had been forced to shoot a suspect. It was a good shoot, but the paperwork that this sort of thing generated made her head hurt. 

This was the first time she'd gone through the process from the ASAC seat. She'd been the agent pulling the trigger more times that she could count, but as always, her ASAC had shielded her from the blowback and made sure she kept her badge, every time. Of course, she'd never fired when she didn't have to; she didn't need that sort of thing praying on her conscience. She'd seen what those demons had done to Don, and she had no interest in finding out just how painful it was firsthand. 

But this, she could do. Go to bat for the agent and make sure that his voice was heard throughout the process. With luck, the investigation would be over almost as soon as it began, and the agent in question would get his gun back by Monday.

"You okay?"

Liz turned to see Don standing beside her, his ever-present shadow standing back a few paces to give them a sense of privacy, even if he could probably hear every word they said. 

"Yeah," she said, gusting out a sigh. "Just—I needed a break. Some fresh air, maybe."

Don snorted. "Fresh air. You do know you live in LA now, right?"

"Ha ha," Liz said, a small smile quirking her lips before it fell away.

"The Williams shooting?"

Liz would ask how he knew, but that was just Don. He knew his people inside and out. She'd long ago learned that it was part of what made him a good leader, and it was something she'd made sure to emulate.

"It was a good shoot," she said, instead of anything else she might have been thinking.

"It was a good shoot," Don said. "The OPS investigation is just a formality. Williams will be back with his team by next week, and this will all be a distant memory. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Liz said. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to worry. Williams keeps asking what he could have done differently, but there really wasn't anything. If he hadn't fired, the guy would have shot those kids. He doesn't need that on a constant loop in his head. This is bad enough."

"And he'll get that, sooner or later," Don said. "He's a good agent. He's young, but we all were once upon a time. He's got a good team lead, and a good support system behind him. He'll get past this, but he won't forget. It'll make him a better agent in the long run, because he'll learn from it. And if it looks like it's affecting him too much, you'll step in and help him through it. I'm not worried."

Liz took a deep breath. That was chapter and verse what had happened with her every time she'd had to shoot someone. Whether it was Don or some other team lead, they'd always taken care of her. She was grateful for that, and now she got to pay it forward. It was a helluva thing, but Don was right: this was how they got better. They took lessons from the worst moments of their career, and vowed to do better next time, even if they weren't at fault.

"Come on," Don said, nudging her shoulder with his. "I'm sneaking out for an early lunch, and I'm kidnapping you. You could use the break."

"I should probably tell Gina," Liz said. "She'll throw a fit that she's not going with, so I'll probably need to bring her back something."

"Don't need to," Don said. He jerked his head a little, and when Liz looked over her shoulder, she saw Gina standing beside Agent Lewis, Don's bodyguard-slash-driver. 

She turned back to Don, eyes narrowing. "You planned this."

Don just smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling in that way-too-attractive way that always melted her insides.

"Guilty as charged, Agent Warner," he said. He nudged her shoulder again. "Come on. I'm feeling some Mexican coming on. I'll even let you have a beer with lunch."

"Yeah, okay," she said, relenting. She knew she could argue that she needed to get back to the office to finish reviewing the paperwork on the Williams shooting, but she just didn't have it in her to stare at the pages of dry, clinical reports and not get angry that Craig Williams was being forced to defend his actions when what he did saved lives. She knew he'd be cleared, but that wasn't the point. But before she could really get a head of steam going on those thoughts again, she stepped away from the railing and tossed her mostly-finished coffee into the nearest trash can. "Let's go."

Instead of heading back inside, Don guided her around the walkway and took the stairs down to the sidewalk, his hand on her back a comforting weight. No sooner had their feet touched the pavement when the distinctive pop of a gun being fired filled the air. Liz pulled her gun and scanned the crowd, but it wasn't like she could see much. As soon as the first person realized what was going on—an active shooter in front of the Federal Building—people had begun to scatter, screams and cries drowning out the sound of traffic on the street beyond. 

Gina and Lewis stood just ahead of them, with Don next to her but angling to shield her back as much as possible, all of them scanning the crowd. Both Gina and Lewis were on their radios, calling in support, and agents were flooding out of the building behind them, directing traffic and helping to get the wounded and the innocent out of the line of fire. 

Trouble was, Liz couldn't see where the shooter was. With all the chaos, it was impossible to tell where the shooting was coming from. She didn't think it was coming from the building across the street, because the windows didn't open, and it didn't look like any had been broken or cut through. But that didn't mean much.

"Sir, we need to get you out of here," Lewis said. 

Liz glanced beside her. Don was wearing that determined frown that meant he wasn't going anywhere until he figured out what was going on. It didn't seem to matter that he was the ADIC; these were his people, and he wasn't leaving.

"Make sure the agents are getting people off the street," Don said, cutting off whatever argument Lewis would have made. He turned to Liz and asked, "Can you see anything?"

"No," she said, eyes still scanning the street. "Either he's moving around, or it's more than one shooter. Lewis is right: we need to get you off the street. You need to make contact with DC, and we need to get SWAT in here."

Don scanned the street one more time, then nodded his head reluctantly. Liz glanced at Gina and Lewis, and they both nodded. She figured Gina would be much happier if she got off the street, and Lewis didn't need to say anything for her to know that he'd kill his boss if he delayed seeking cover much longer.

They'd moved behind the stairs for whatever cover they could offer, but moved as one along the sidewalk, intent on reaching the front of the building. A few more pops split the air, and Don grunted as a bullet pierced his shoulder. He stumbled, but kept his feet as they pushed through the doors to the building. There were several wounded people in the lobby, being tended to by a few agents. 

Liz pushed Don into the nearest chair, and pulled his jacket off to get a better look. There was an entry wound, but no exit wound, which meant the bullet was still in there and could potentially do more damage. It wasn't bleeding profusely, which was good; the bullet had likely missed any arteries. He'd still need surgery, but it could have been so much worse. 

Lewis shoved some gauze at her from one of the first aide kits at the main reception desk, and Liz pressed it into his wound, muttering a quick sorry when he grunted in pain.

Tim and the SWAT team came racing through the lobby just then, nodding at Don and Liz as they headed into the fray. Liz watched through the floor-to-ceiling windows as SWAT cleared the street of whatever stragglers were remaining and located the shooter, who'd come out of his hiding place and was standing in the middle of the street, ranting at volume. 

Liz watched as Tim and his team took the guy down with very little fanfare. He must have run out of ammunition, because he appeared to point his weapon at the SWAT guys, but they just advanced on him and ignored the gun. It was all over in just a few moments, and Liz was grateful for that.

She turned back to Don, watching carefully for signs of shock. "You okay?"

"At least it was my left shoulder this time," he said by way of answer. When Liz frowned, he rested his right hand over hers where it was still pressing the gauze into his shoulder. "I'm good. Don't even feel like passing out."

Liz nodded, not able to say much of anything at that point. Her heart had dropped down into her feet when the bullet struck home in Don's shoulder. She'd seen him get shot before, but this time it was so much worse. She wasn't sure she'd ever get over the sight of his blood on her hands; it was only a shoulder wound, and not even the first time he'd ever bled on her, but that was hardly the point. 

She wanted to look anywhere but at him, maybe step away and deal with the chaos of the moment, but she was rooted to the spot and staring into his amber eyes as if they were her lifeline. Lord bless them, Gina and Lewis were studiously ignoring them both, directing traffic, getting the wounded corralled and ready for the paramedics who were starting to arrive on scene. 

Colby showed up just a few minutes later and pulled her away, but not before she extracted a promise from both Don and Lewis that he'd go to the hospital with no arguments, just as soon as the paramedics had him ready for transport. 

It felt good to focus on the aftermath, and getting the investigation kicked off, but she couldn't help but think that the very heart of her was on an ambulance headed for the hospital, and she wasn't there beside him, where she belonged.

~o~

By the time she had the scene somewhat under control, the evidence collected and the statements taken, Don had been out of surgery for several hours. She desperately wanted to go home and take a shower, maybe watch some House Hunters, and just forget about the day, but her heart wouldn't let her. She needed to see Don, to see for herself that he was going to be fine, despite the updates that Alan, Charlie and Lewis had been feeding her near-constantly over the last several hours.

So, instead of heading home, she had Gina drive her to the hospital. It took just a few minutes to find his room; Alan had texted that Don had been moved from recovery a couple of hours before, and had advised her that the family would be leaving soon. She hadn't intentionally waited until they'd left, but she was also aware that something had passed between her and Don earlier, and she didn't want to see the rest of the family until they'd at least sorted that out.

Don's eyes were closed when she stepped into the room, but they popped open the second she crossed the threshold. He didn't say anything, just held out his right hand in silent invitation. She crossed the room quickly and took his hand, sitting on the bed and leaning forward until her forehead was pressed to his.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" she asked with a watery chuckle.

"Maybe, but you seem more upset by this than I am," he said quietly. "I've been shot before, so I have to think there's something else going on."

"Can't you just let me fall to pieces in peace?"

"I could," he said. "But I'd much rather know what's going on so I can help fix it."

Liz pulled back and dabbed at her cheeks, which were wet from tears she hadn't realized she'd been crying. "Jesus, I'm a mess. I'm a federal agent; I shouldn't be falling apart like this."

"Do you want to know what I was thinking while that guy was shooting at all of us?" When she nodded, he reached out and pressed his hand to her cheek. "I was thinking that I wished I'd found you sooner. We could have been gone already if I'd realized that you needed rescuing sooner. I know you're a federal agent with a gun and a badge, but for just a minute, all I could think was, 'This is the woman I love being shot at, and I can't lose her.'"

Liz sucked in a shocked breath. She'd thought she was the only one affected by his mere presence, but apparently she wasn't. It filled her with a sense of relief, even as it tore at her defenses.

"I tried so hard to get over you," she said, her voice practically a whisper. "And I told myself that it was a bad idea to get involved with you again, because you're my boss and that didn't work out very well the last time. But I just... I don't know how not to be in love with you."

Don chuckled. "Aren't we a pair. You know, Charlie started calculating the probabilities, trying to figure out what it would take for both of us to take our heads out of our asses. He's got the math on a chalkboard in the garage. You should ask him to show it to you sometime. It's some pretty elegant stuff."

"Did everyone know but us?" she asked, because she needed to know if everyone knew she was an idiot, or just the math geniuses. 

"To be fair, I did talk to Hackenburg about this before I agreed to take the ADIC position."

"You what?" Liz asked. "What did you tell him?"

"That if I was going to be ADIC for the LA Field Office, I needed you running my investigative teams," Don said, shrugging a little with his right shoulder. "And that if he could convince you to take the job, he was going to have to let us date, because I wasn't going to have you back in my life and not get to date you properly this time."

Liz's mouth dropped open. He'd been planning this, and she'd totally missed it. How had she missed it?

"Did he agree?"

"After he finished laughing at me, yeah, he agreed. They wanted me badly enough that they would have agreed to just about anything. Besides, we're not in the field anymore. As long as our relationship is totally above board, he was fine with it. Rita will be doing your evaluations, by the way. I asked for that specifically. She'll be tough but fair."

Liz could only sit and stare at him, not sure when she'd lost complete control of the situation, and not really caring. She'd thought she was over him, done with the whole dating your boss situation, and then Don Eppes strolled back into her life. She'd be angry with him, but the truth was, she'd missed him like crazy and most of the reason she'd taken the job had been to be closer to him, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.

"I think I broke you," Don said, his smile lighting his eyes with a soft amber glow.

"This is going to sound crazy, but that's probably the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me," she said, shaking her head.

"Good," he said, winking. "Means that anything I do from now on will just be icing on the cake."

"Can I kiss you now?" she asked quietly.

"I wish you would," Don said. "I've missed you."

"Missed you more," Liz said barely above a whisper as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

There weren't fireworks, no butterflies swarming in her belly. There was something better: a warmth, spreading through her, like coming home.

When she pulled back, she smiled at Don, pressing her hand to his cheek in a mirror of his earlier gesture. "Please don't get shot again. I don't think I could take it."

"I can't promise that, and you know it," he said quietly. "But I will promise that I will always make every effort to come home to you. To you and Jake. I owe you that much."

"Okay," she said, nodding her head. "I can live with that."

"Dad offered to let us stay with him while I recover," Don said. "But I think I'd just rather have you with me and Jake at home. Do you think you could do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Liz said, smiling. "As long as your'e the one that tells him we're going to be dating."

"Oh, he knows already," Don said. "He's been asking me when I'm going to—and I quote—man up and ask her out already."

Liz couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. "Seriously, does everyone know?"

"Pretty much," he said. "That a problem?"

"No, not at all," she said. She pressed another kiss to his lips, lingering just a bit longer than she should. "I need to get going."

"I think they'll release me tomorrow," he said. "I'll have Dad text you when we know for sure. Think you can cut out early and come get me?"

"I think that can be arranged," she said. "As long as my boss says it's okay."

"He's a hardass, but I think I can get him to agree," Don said. "Then maybe we can talk some more this weekend. Figure out where we go from here."

"Sounds good," Liz said. "Now, get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow, whether they release you or not."

"Thanks, Liz," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. "For everything."

"Anytime," she said. 

She pressed one more quick kiss to his lips, then got up and headed for the door. When she turned back around, she saw his eyes were closed. He'd probably be sleeping a lot over the weekend, what with the pain meds he was likely to be on, but that was okay with her. Just spending time with him and Jake would be enough. She wasn't going to rush this; they had time to figure things out, and go into this with eyes open. 

They'd do better this time because they were older and wiser, but also because, at the end of the day, they loved each other, even if they hadn't exactly said the words. She'd known for a long time that she loved him, and probably always would; she was just glad she wasn't the only one.

~Finis


End file.
